Correlation Found Between Oral Care & Diabetes Control

A new cross-sectional study investigating oral hygiene habits and blood glycemic control indicators has found compelling evidence that good oral care habits such as interdental cleaning in people with type 2 diabetes are associated with better glycaemic control.

Highlighting the importance of the connection between interdental cleaning and blood glucose levels, the results also indicate that prevention of tooth loss through good oral care habits and regular dental visits are important for people with type 2 diabetes from the perspective of better blood glycaemic control.

The joint study by the Clinic Masae Minami/Minami Diabetes Clinical Research Center and international oral healthcare company Sunstar investigated oral hygiene indicators and blood glycaemic control indicators, such as 24-hour continuous blood sugar fluctuations.

This study confirms the relationship between blood sugar fluctuations and the number of teeth in people with diabetes. The results also make it clear that interdental cleaning habits and the number of teeth are related not only to measurements such as HbA1c and fasting blood sugar levels, but also to Time in Range, a figure that shows the amount of time a patient spends in the target blood glucose range between 70-180mg/dL during a 24-hour blood-sugar measurement.

That diabetes and periodontal disease are closely related was again demonstrated in a high-impact study a few years ago, showing that treating periodontal disease in patients with type 2 diabetes improved glycaemic control.

Although there have been few reports on the relationship between oral hygiene habits and blood sugar control in diabetic patients, a previous study, which used the same study population as the present study, clarified the association between interdental cleaning habits, gender- and age-adjusted HbA1c, and fasting blood sugar levels.

The number of teeth is strongly related to interdental cleaning and dietary habits to maintain oral health. Although the results of this study alone do not reveal a causal relationship, it is expected that incorporating regular dental visits and interdental cleaning into oral care will lead not only to the prevention of tooth loss but also to the maintenance and promotion of overall health.